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"Arsene."
Arsene blinks, glancing down at Loki, his head lifted up off his lap.
"I know what you did."
"Huh?"
"The bargain. You didn't have to do that, you know."
Arsene blinks, cupping his face.
"I wanted to."
Loki sits up and presses his forehead against his with a content sigh. Loki was quiet for a little bit, fiddling with his cravat.
"Thank you. You've made me so happy."
Arsene reaches up to play with his hair, Loki closing his eyes. He pressed into him more, relaxing.
"I love you." Arsene murmurs, shifting, pressing one of his wings around him.
Loki opens his eyes and lays his head on his shoulder, gently brushing the feathers.
"Love you too."
They watched the sun set, Loki starting to get up.
"I need to prepare for the next few days. Alone. You should too."
“So soon?”
“It’s for the best. Don’t want any unfinished business here.”
Arsene takes his time saying goodbye to all his friends, leaving a couple of days to spend with Loki. He lands in front of the mausoleum, seeing the door open.
"Loki?" Arsene called out, going inside.
Loki blinks owlishly at him, sitting crisscrossed with an urn in between his legs and holding a lantern.
"You're. Here?"
Arsene backs up a little.
"Oh, sorry, too early? I've said my goodbyes already."
He stands up, putting the things away before grabbing one of Arsene's hands.
"And I suppose you mean to spend your last days with me?"
"Yes. Let's go for a walk. Anywhere you wanna go, I'll follow."
Arsene gently starts swinging their hands as they walked, Loki bringing him to a field of flowers to walk through. Arsene felt a pang of sadness as he recognised the pink, yellow and blue flowers. At a mostly flower free spot, Loki let go and sat down, patting the spot next to him. Loki leaned against him once he sat down, resting his cheek on his head. They sat in silence for a bit, Arsene nuzzling Loki every now and again.
"Hey, do you know how you accused me of doing something to Joker?"
"Yeah. Is something wrong?"
"I must confess... and please don't be mad, but... I kissed him."
Arsene sat up straight, shocked.
"What?!"
"He asked. I thought you'd would just let me die. I feel guilty not telling you earlier."
Arsene felt a wave of jealousy overtake him. Loki shifts, moving away from him in response to his silence.
"...are you m- mmph!" Loki starts, interrupted as Arsene kisses him harshly.
Loki lets him do what he wanted, both of them panting as Arsene breaks away. He goes back in for quick and gentle kiss, humming apologetically as he sees Loki's face.
"Jealous?"
"A little."
Loki sighs, pushing him away.
"You're one to talk."
Arsene's face drops.
"Ooh... you saw..."
Loki turns his back on him, slumping forward.
"I... I'm sorry. I just took advantage of his pity for me."
Loki crosses his arms, shifting forward. Arsene hugs him from behind, brushing his lips over his neck as an extra apology. He can see Loki blush, pressing his back into his chest.
"Its... fine. I can't stay mad at you."
"... what did Joker taste like?"
Loki presses more into him, turning sideways to lay his head on Arsene's shoulder.
"Like coffee, and some sort of spice. Like, spicy spice. I dunno." He hid his face in his neck before quietly adding: "I like the taste of you better."
Arsene blushed as he tightened his grip around Loki. Loki pulls back, grabbing a fist full of flowers from nearby. He picks out one, lifting it to Arsene's head and starts tying it around his horn. He keeps doing this with the rest until his left horn has been completely covered in flowers and their stems. He takes the last flower and slides it behind Arsene's right ear, taking a moment to cup his face.
"They're lovely." Arsene murmurs as Loki presses back into him.
They stay like that for a while, before Arsene gets antsy.
"Hey, I want to show you where I live."
"Oh, okay. Sure. I'd love to see."
They get up, Loki stretching and yawning. Arsene shows him the little place, an older building open to the sky, the tarp in its own little corner, set up like it used to be in the casino. Arsene is smiling as he goes under the tarp, but it falters when he sees the small frown on Loki's face.
"Is something wrong?" He asks, stepping back out and holding his hand.
"Sorry, just thinking. It's small, but, uh, cute." Loki gave him a half smile, trying to reassure him. "It hasn't changed much."
Arsene was about to protest when it hit him. Loki couldn't fit under there with him anymore.
"Oh." He murmured.
"Hm?"
"Just, I was thinking... I've never seen your room."
"Oh, um, would you like to?"
"If you're okay with that, of course."
Loki leads them back to the mausoleum, heading inside. Arsene follows as he goes deeper in and pushes open a door. Arsene looks around the plain, cold looking room, seeing the bed against the wall.
"Whoa, its huge."
Arsene jumps on it, Loki smiling.
"Yeah, well..."
Loki sits on the edge, nervous. Arsene tugs him until he lays down, pressing up against him.
"Has anyone else ever been in here?"
"I never had anyone else like you in my room before."
"Really?"
Loki nuzzles him, closing his eyes.
"Mhm. This is nice."
Arsene kisses his nose, cupping his face. Loki drapes his arm over him, sighing happily. He could feel Loki shaking.
"Are you okay?"
Loki opens his eyes.
"Mm? Oh. It's not something i want you to worry about. I'll be okay."
Arsene presses into him more, nuzzling him.
"I'm here if you want to talk."
Loki ruffles up his hair, saying nothing. He decided to not press him for now, just wanting to enjoy this.
~~~~~~~~
They stay like that for a while until Arsene falls asleep. Loki shifts slightly, trying to make himself fit more comfortably. He gently ran his hand over Arsene's stomach, frowning at how much bigger his hand was in comparison to Arsene's body.
Then his thoughts went to how he was so much bigger in comparison. Before they fit perfectly, especially on Arsene's bed, but now? Loki was always scared he was going to hurt him. Scared Arsene wasn't really happy. It was silly to worry about it, when Arsene was right here and content next to him. He worried about it anyway.
Loki moved again, closing his eyes. Sleep was a slow process, something uncomfortable. He envied Arsene's ability to fall asleep anywhere and be at peace. Quick scenes pass through his head. A snap of wings, a woosh, an oncoming lance. Pain.
His head jerked back, his eyes opening with a gasp. Arsene twitched, but nothing more. He sighed, taking his hand away. He pressed a kiss to Arsene's cheek, thoughts racing as he sat up. Sleeping did not come easy for him. It never did. Especially not here. Loki swung his legs off and onto the floor.
"Mn? Loki?" Arsene stirred slightly as he started getting up.
Loki pressed his lips to his nose, running fingers through his hair. Kissing his lips still felt like something more than he deserved.
"Hello beloved."
Arsene sleepily wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him back down.
"Are you okay?"
Loki cupped his cheeks, running his thumbs back and forth, no answer.
"Love," Arsene started, eyes closing while Loki's breath hitched. "I want to cuddle more. Please?"
Loki slowly lowered himself down, wrapping his arms around him. He feels Arsene fall asleep again, wishing he was able to sleep that quickly. He took time to brush through his feathers, sighing.
"I love you. I can't say you've made me happy enough times. But," Loki pauses as Arsene shifts in his sleep, worried he was heard. "I'm not him. I know he was yours first. And I can't replace him."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Arsene yawns and stretches, finding himself alone in the bed. He sits up, worried, until he hears footsteps coming back towards him. Loki opens the door, holding a plate of what looked like sandwiches.
“Good morning. I, uh, didn’t know what you like and I don’t cook very well, so, uh, enjoy.” He mumbles, setting the plate down in front of him and sitting on the edge.
Arsene picks up one of the sandwiches, taking a bite. He smiled at Loki’s expectant face, watching him relax a little. He was kinda hungry, so after finishing the first sandwich he grabbed another and shoved it in his mouth. He had a spark of an idea, waiting until he swallowed to talk.
“Hey, can we go to your favorite spot today?”
“Do you mean that? I’d love to show you.”
“Of course I do.”
Loki gets excited, and after breakfast is done he pulls him out and up to one of the taller buildings.
"What makes this your favorite spot?"
"Watching you. I always wished I could fly by your side."
Arsene kisses the back of his hand.
"I can fly with you."
Loki took a few steps back.
"I’m too big for you to carry." He looked deeply embarrassed, retreating into himself.
"I’m strong enough. I’m gonna carry you."
Arsene backed up and went behind Loki, before flapping his wings to lift himself up. He grabs under Loki's shoulders, wrapping his arms around his chest as he moves forward. Loki squeaks as he's lifted up with him, Arsene straining a bit to get up higher. He went slow, drifting in a lazy circle as they descended. He feels Loki squirming to get a better look.
"You see this all the time? That's amazing."
He dips his left wing down further, letting him see the whole city before flapping again. He grins as he hears a soft gasp.
"Getting tired. I'm gonna land soon." He murmured after a while, turning back to the roof they took off from.
Arsene lands, gently putting Loki down, looking exhausted. Loki hugs him, nuzzling his face. Arsene falls against him, letting him sit them both down. He watches the sun sink for a little before pressing more into Loki, letting out a yawn.
"Tired?"
"Mhm." Arsene closes his eyes.
"Then sleep. I have you."
Arsene does, feeling warm in Loki's arms, snuggling up closer to him. Arsene wakes up just as the sun begins to rise again, hearing Loki humming something distantly familiar.
"Hey. Did you always watch?" He asked as he got up, Loki following suit.
"When we could. We always loved watching you fly, but lately..."
The tinge to his voice let Arsene fill in the details, guilty as he realizes.
"I’m so sorry... I..."
Loki shakes his head.
"Don't worry, it never went away. Just would get worried when you got closer."
"How can you forgive me so easily after everything I've done to you Loki?"
"Because I love you."
Arsene went to protest again, but was stopped by a kiss. He deepened it, relaxing as Loki pulled him close.
"I mean it, you know. You've made me really happy."
Loki pulls him down with him, Arsene above him. They kiss again, Arsene pressing up against him as he pulled away. Arsene runs his hands over his stomach and chest, pressing in slightly. Loki rubs circles on his hips, admiring him. His fingers wander up to his wings, pressing a sensitive spot on both sides. Arsene squeaks loudly, blushes and buries his face into Loki's side. Loki gives a startled laugh, running fingers through his feathers, preening them for him.
"So cute."
Arsene pouts a little as Loki pulls him back into a hug.
"So… what's it like? Dying, I mean."
Loki hums, rubbing circles on his back in between his wings, giving it some thought.
"Depends. What we will get is a peaceful death, it's a bit like sleeping."
Arsene shifted, eyes shining with worry as he made eye contact.
"Will we see each other again? Where do we go?"
"The Underworld. And we will be there, I will be reborn in the land of the living, but I, I will be there. Most likely I will be there before you will, I'm afraid. Oh, before I forget," Loki hands him a coin. "I'm sure you don't want to wait very long to get to the other side."
Arsene closes his fingers around the coin, nodding.
"I promise to come find you."
Loki frowns for a moment, leaning in to kiss him. Arsene deepens it, hugging tight. Once they pulled away, Arsene puts his chin on his shoulder, sighing happily.
“It's soon, isn't it?”
“Yes.”
Arsene slides the coin under his tongue like he saw Okumura do all those years ago. He closes his eyes, just breathing in deeply. He felt Loki tighten the hug, starting to hum that song again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Loki stepped down hesitantly. The room is surprisingly empty, and he slowly starts his way towards the door on the other side. The Reaper is nowhere to be found. He stopped as he hears a muffled argument on the other side of the door, before it suddenly stops. The door opens to the black swept back hair of Thanatos, and Loki whimpered.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I took all your advice to heart but it wasn't enough!" Loki starts, fearing the worst as he comes closer. "I failed, I failed I-"
Thanatos brushed his fingers over his face gently, crouching down.
"Shh, it was not your fault. You weren't the one who failed. You did all you could. I'm sorry you had to face that alone."
Loki pulls him into a hug, Thanatos returning it with a squeeze.
"Come. The others were worried about you too. Let's go see them."
Loki lets him lead them outside. A girl with neat blue hair and white wings, a dark, graceful maiden whose hair was flowers, and a golden horned, hooded and veiled form were waiting near the bottom of the stairs.
"Welcome home." Two of them, Sukuna-Hikona and Ophelia, murmur in unison.
The veiled form signs the same to him, walking over to them. He gently reaches towards his face, concerned, signing Loki's age.
"I know, Charon..." Loki murmured, slouching down so he could reach.
Charon wipes away some of his stray tears, pressing his forehead against his face. Ophelia pulled him into a hug, warm and soft. Sukuna waved. Loki looks them over, seeing someone was missing.
"Surprised Robin isn't here."
"Because I wouldn't let him near you. After what he did to you?"
"Ophelia..."
"He hurt you, Loki!"
"He's not here because he's rightfully afraid of me." Thanatos said, a dark expression coming across his face.
Loki sighs in relief before the weight of the past twenty-five years comes crashing down on him. He falls to his knees sobbing, the others rushing over to him. Ophelia reaches him first, holding him tight against her.
"Let it out, it's okay. It's a lot. It's okay."
After a while of the others soothing him, he finally stops, slumping against her shoulder.
"You should stay with Charon for now. We'll come check on you a little later, okay?"
Loki stares at her for a little while before he nods, letting Ophelia help him get up. Charon hooks his arm with his as Thanatos walks on his other side with a hand on his back, leading him away. He glances over his shoulder to see Sukuna start towards him before Ophelia put a hand on her shoulder. Charon’s home wasn't too far away, Loki being pulled into a room a little bigger than the one in the mausoleum, something that felt and looked warmer in comparison. Charon let go, and Loki could feel he was smiling gently at him under his veil.
“Yours. Stay as long as you want. Always welcome.” He signed.
Charon sweeps his arm over the room before walking back out. Loki just stares between the bed and the other furniture in the room, eyes sliding over the bookcase that went to the ceiling and staring at the mirror.
"You good, kiddo?" Thanatos asked.
Loki looked at him.
"You want me to stay with you for a little bit?"
Loki wordlessly points to the bed. Thanatos sits on the edge as he waits for Loki to settle on it before laying down next to him. Loki lays his torso on his brother's chest, closing his eyes. He feels Thanatos gently pet him before he falls asleep, content and safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next time Arsene wakes up, the world has changed. Dead walked around, the cavern large and dark, but inviting and warm. Arsene looks to see a boat with someone waiting on it, hurrying over. Coming closer, he could hear the river gently lapping, a veiled figure standing on it, watching him.
“Hello?”
It held out a hand, palm up. Arsene blinks, before remembering the coin. A quick search and a press into the palm later, the Ferryman gestured him to come. Arsene boarded, looking over the edge at the water below as they started moving.
“You're like Loki, right?”
The Ferryman glanced at him and continued paddling.
Not one for talking, huh?
After being ferried across, Arsene perked up seeing Izanagi and Orpheus at the shoreline. He jumped off the boat, excited.
"Izanagi! Orpheus!"
"Hey kid." Izanagi said, slapping him on the back. "Welcome. Oh, wait, I can't call you kid when you're older than both of us combined, can I?"
"Shut up."
Izanagi chuckled, ruffling his hair playfully.
"Where is everyone?"
"Oh, this is our place. The others are spread out over that way, towards the other buildings. You need to wait a little bit before you can go, though." Orpheus explained.
"Gotta get used to the new place."
"Is Loki here?"
Orpheus shrugs.
"We haven't seen any of the Pallbearers in a while. Doubt he would come over here either. Just relax for a bit. You can look for him later."
They led him inside the little building, letting Arsene explore the house. He found the empty room meant for him, gingerly touching the furniture in it. He would've preferred being outside, but it was nice. Something to show Loki later. He frowned, wondering when he could go see him. He walks back out, intent on at least catching up with his brothers.
~~~~~~~~~~
Sukuna pokes her head in about a day later, seeing Loki was asleep. Thanatos waved at her carefully, trying not to jostle him. The book he was almost done reading he put aside on the little nightstand.
"Still?" She signed, pointing at Loki.
"He’s exhausted." He signed back. "Let him sleep."
Sukuna pointed at the bookshelf and he nodded, grabbing a few more heavy books and giving them to him. She slipped out the door, leaving them alone.
~~~~~~~~~~
Arsene catches up with Orpheus and Izanagi, but soon enough starts missing his friends.
"When will my friends get here?" He asked.
The other two shrugged.
"It really depends."
Arsene sighed, flopping onto his back.
"I want to see my friends. And Loki."
“Be patient. You won't be able to go anywhere for a little while anyway.”
“Hey Orph, your friend said he'd come by soon after this was done. What happened?”
“Huh? Oh, that. Last time he seemed really upset last time we talked, so I'm not surprised if he wants to wait a little bit before coming over.”
Arsene sighed again, quieter this time.
Well, if Orpheus is having problems seeing his friend, I'm not alone.
Izanagi pulled his attention by dropping a board game in the middle, roping them in to play. Arsene sighed at having to play another overly complicated board game so soon.
~~~~~~~~
Loki yawns and stretches, finding Thanatos quietly reading a book, seeing a couple more books on the nightstand. Loki props himself up, watching him. Thanatos notices him after a few minutes, shutting the book and putting it aside.
"Good morning. You slept for a while. Didn't want to wake you. Feeling better?"
Loki sits up and nods.
"Are you hungry?"
Loki blinked at him.
"It's okay if you aren't. I didn't eat for a while either. Water?"
Loki nodded, Thanatos getting up with one last ruffle of his hair. After he leaves, Loki looks at the mirror again, getting up to stare into it. He poked his face in a few different places, frowning.
Ugly. Undesirable.
"Loki," Thanatos murmured, picking him up and putting him down on the bed. "C'mon."
Loki sighed, sitting down, Thanatos putting the glass into his hands. Loki drank the whole glass in one go, Thanatos turning the mirror around to face the wall. Loki put the glass down as he came back to him. Loki watched him sit down before he laid back on top of him, across his lap. He felt Thanatos rub circles into his back, humming gently. After a while there's a knock.
"Come in."
Ophelia pokes her head in.
"Hello little ones." She jokes gently, smiling as she steps inside.
"Ophelia, you're the little one out of the three of us." Thanatos replied.
Loki giggles, making the other two brighten up a little. Ophelia walked over and cupped his face, kissing his forehead.
"Hi sweetheart. Got some rest I hope?"
Loki hummed, watching as she frowned for a second.
"Don't you have to visit your friend, Thanatos?"
"Ah, I should. Sorry Loki, I'm sure Ophelia won't mind staying with you."
Loki got up, leaning into Ophelia's hold more.
"... okay. Bye, Than." He winced at how raspy his voice sounded.
"I'll come by again later."
Thanatos ruffled his hair affectionately. Ophelia waited until he left to show her worry.
"Are you okay, hun?"
Loki sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.
"I don't know why I agreed to be with him. Between Robin Hood and me, I know who Arsene would pick. As if six months was enough to change his mind."
"Loki, dear..."
"He broke his last promise... I..."
"Come. Walk with me through the garden."
Ophelia leads him to a wonderfully kept garden, full of fruits and flowers and other sorts of plants. She sits down on a stone bench covered in vines, patting her lap. Loki lays down on the bench, head in her lap.
"I can feel your heartbreak, you know."
"Yes, I know. But what can I do? I can't compete with him for Arsene's affections..."
"My dear, it sounded like he was fully in love with you when we last talked."
"But only because Robin wasn't there. It was pity. It's not like I'm actually desirable anyway." Loki sighs.
Ophelia squishes his cheeks in a little.
"I don't believe that one bit. That creature was cruel to you. You’re fine as you are."
Loki sat up, hanging his head.
"Even so, I can't trust he'll keep his new promise. I can't deal with that again."
"If he truly means to break his promise, I'll hurt him."
"Please don't."
"Loki-"
“He'll think it's because I asked you to. Please."
"...okay. I won't."
Loki leans against her, feeling her rub his back.
“I kinda wanna see the garden. What's changed?”
Ophelia smiles, the two of them getting up. She linked their arms together and began giving him a tour.
~~~~~~~~
Cerberus hops over to Orpheus and Arsene, wagging his tail. He’s bouncing all around Orpheus, Orpheus cracking a smile and holding his hand out. Cerberus smushes one of his heads into his hand, tail wagging.
"There you are, Cerberus. How are you buddy?"
Arsene reaches out to pat him on one of the other heads, but gets a stare down. He took his hand back.
"Hey Orphy." A voice calls.
Orpheus runs over to the source, chatting with him. Arsene watches as they get close. Thanatos towered over him, making Arsene swallow as he leaned over him.
"Arsene, right?" Thanatos tilts his head, narrowing his eyes.
"That’s me. Hi. Is Loki around?"
"He is. But if you break his heart again, I swear-"
Orpheus nudges Thanatos a little, a small smile on his face.
"Than, you promised you'd be nice."
He sighed, closing his eyes.
"Tch, whatever."
Thanatos turns on his heel and leaves again, Cerberus bounding after him.
"You can go now." Orpheus said. "Just be careful, alright?"
Arsene nods, running off after watching Orpheus catch up to Thanatos. He heard part of their conversation as he passes, a gruff,
"Of course I don't trust him-"
before he flew out of earshot, looking for Loki. The majority of the buildings were spaced out, with smaller clusters here and there. Arsene glides low and slows down, searching the spaces.
"Arsene?"
He pauses, turning towards the sound of the familiar voice.
"Where are you?"
He lands to turn the corner, running into a white figure, accented with red, blue and gold. Robin Hood gave him a sheepish smile, though it made Arsene sick to see the hole in his chest.
“Arsene, my sweet-”
"Robin." He growled.
Robin Hood balked at the cold tone of his voice.
"My love-"
"No. How could you do that to him?"
Robin blinked, then narrowed his eyes.
"We did what we had to do, Arsene."
"It was cruel! I can't forgive you for what you did!"
Robin face falls as he turns away.
"I... understand. Then goodbye, my dear."
Arsene flies away, determined on finding Loki. He spotted him walking alongside a long haired woman, seeing Loki’s surprise as he landed. He looked rather pale and nervous, slouching.
"Loki?"
"You saw him right? It's okay, you didn't have to tell me. I would’ve figured it out. You've been missing him for twenty five years, now. I’m sure he's been waiting for you, too. Go see him, it's..." Loki stops, looking away. "Don't let me stop you. Whatever makes you happy."
"But what about you?"
"Please don't ask me that." Loki mumbles, backing up.
He saw how Loki's lip trembled. Arsene looks away for a moment.
"You make me happy."
Arsene goes to hug him, but stops as Loki backs away further.
"Thought you'd want Robin..."
Arsene pulled away and shook his head.
"I can't forgive him. Besides I promised I’d find you, didn't I?"
Loki stares at him.
"Is this pity?"
"No. I’m being honest. Please."
Loki looked down.
"I... I need some time. To think. I'll come find you when I'm ready."
"Oh. Okay. I'll stay with Nagi and Orpheus then..."
Arsene took a few steps away and flew off, conflicted. He got back to his new home, seeing Orpheus and Izanagi waiting for him.
"Find him?"
"Yeah, but... he said he needed time." Arsene sighed deeply, heart heavy. "It hurts."
"It’s alright kid. He'll find you when he's ready."
Arsene retreated to his room for the time being, wanting to be alone for a bit. What Zorro said crossed his mind again: "Why would he trust you anymore?"
And Arsene sat down, and thought about it.
Loki had no reason to believe I would actually stay with him after everything. He can’t believe me since our first meeting. He forgave me but that never meant he trusted me again.
“I really screwed up this time, didn’t I?” He mumbled, flopping back onto the bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Loki? Sweetheart?"
He sits down without a word, back pressed against the bench they were sitting at. He presses the heel of his palm to his eye, trying not to cry. He lets out a sob despite himself. Ophelia sits down on the bench, rubbing his back, murmuring to him.
"Hello? Than said you two would be here." Sukuna freezes upon seeing him before rushing over. "Loki? Was it Arsene? Did he hurt you?! Because I swear I'll-!"
"No! I just don't wanna guilt him into staying with me! I- I need time, to make sure he wants me for me. Suku please don't hurt him. Please."
Sukuna places her head on top of his, draping her arms around his shoulders.
"For you, I won't."
"I feel stupid for being with him up there. It's not like, I really deserve anything like that what Robin had but..."
"You deserved so much better. You still do. And if anything, you have us, and Than and Charon, okay? We're here for you." Sukuna said, hugging him tightly.
Loki hugged back, pressing his face into her shoulder.
"Thank you."
"It's good to give these sorts of things some space, anyway. You have time. You went through a lot, and you still seem exhausted. Please take care of yourself first." Ophelia murmured, joining the hug.
Loki lets out a little purr, moving to hug both of them at once.
"I'm gonna go sleep some more, I think. I’m tired."
"Hey, I'll come with you."
Sukuna grabs his hand, Loki giving a small grin. The two weave their way out of the garden and back to Loki's room, Loki sighing and letting go of her hand. He crawled onto the bed, curling up.
"Don't you want blankets?"
"Sure."
After a few minutes, she returns, Loki staring up at the ceiling.
"What if I did the wrong thing? What if he really does go back to him because he doesn't wanna wait?"
Sukuna dumps a bunch of blankets on top of him before sitting on the edge.
"Thanks." He mumbles, taking time to wrap himself in the blankets.
Sukuna lays down next to him, Loki pulling her closer and placing his cheek on her shoulder. He throws part of the blankets on top of her before closing his eyes, sighing.
"I'm not as good as Sis with this stuff, so bear with me." She started, waiting until he opened his eyes to continue. "It's better for you to take care of yourself first. You don't have to go through this alone either. As long as it takes, we'll be here."
Loki snuggles up to her, Sukuna slowly stroking his hair.
"Thank you. It's easier with all of you around."
Soon enough, he sinks into sleep, Sukuna shifting only slightly in response.
~~~~~~~~~
Arsene spots a blue haired girl with Izanagi, and recognizes her.
"Hey, Sukuna, wait."
She stops and stares coldly at him.
"What do you want, Arsene?"
"You’re Loki's sibling, right?"
She stiffens, becoming suspicious.
"What do you want with him?"
"Well, I'll wait for you, Hikona. Don't break too many bones." Izanagi says, slinking away.
"I... I just wanted to know how he's doing. It's been a while."
"After everything you’ve done to him??" Sukuna glared at him for another moment before she sighs deeply. "But... you asking at least... tells me you sorta care about him." She mutters, looking off to the side.
"You don't have to. I know I was awful. So I get why you and Thanatos would hate me."
"I’m not gonna hurt you, but that's only because Loki asked me not to. He's been hurt by his own family enough. Just... don't go looking for him, alright?"
"I won't."
Sukuna crosses her arms over her chest.
"To be honest, I haven't really been able to talk to him that much. He's been sleeping a lot. Not talking much either. Gramps is watching over him right now, and he's... adjusting, still. None of us want to leave him by himself. We're all helping as best we can, but I'm not really suited to the emotional stuff. Plus, Than and Ophelia better relate to what he's went through, so its better for him to be with them right now. He needs to recover from what Robin put him through, and that's gonna take a while."
She exhales slowly, running a hand through her hair.
"Thanks for letting me know."
"But I'm serious though. You better not seek him out. You'll kill his trust in you for good."
"I wasn't aware he still had any for me after everything I've done."
"He doesn't. I'm only warning you for the sake of his health, not for your own sake. You've made his life hell, and if you so much as make this worse before he can get better I will end you, promise or not."
"I-... understood. I'll let him come to me."
Sukuna turns on her heel, moving towards Izanagi, but stops.
"He'll... he'll be happy you asked about him. So... thank you."
She flew off before he could respond.
It took even longer before Arsene saw anyone else besides his brothers and their friends. He was playing fetch with Cerberus when he took the stick and ran off. Arsene flew off after him, staying low.
"Hey! You gotta give it to me so I can throw-" Arsene skidded to a stop, seeing Loki with the stick in his hand. "...it."
"Uh, hi."
Loki throws the stick far, watching Cerberus bounce after it.
He looks much better than the last time we talked.
"I've had some time to think." He murmurs, kicking his hoof awkwardly.
"I see."
Loki folded in on himself, nervous and blushing.
"I still love you. I know you don’t know me as well as I know you, but then again I didn’t know me well, and, uh." He seemed to start rapidly losing courage as he spoke. "But I know he... Do... uh, nevermind forg-"
"I love you. And I do want to get to know you better, since we have time now."
Loki looked shocked, then skeptical.
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
Arsene holds his hand out slowly, stopping just before his chest. Loki grabs his hand in both of his gingerly, looking away and turning red.
"Loki...?"
"Are you sure?" He asked quietly.
Arsene could feel him squeeze his hand a little.
"I am."
Loki smiles after a moment, pulling him close, relieved.
"You kept your promise."
"Yes."
Loki picks him up and brings him to eye level.
"You chose me."
Arsene traces his lips with a finger.
"I did."
Loki guides him around, fingers intertwined as Arsene pressed into him. Death wasn't so bad after all, Arsene thought, as long as he got to spent it with his lover.